how are you/did you prepare for your second baby?

[flipflopsonfifthavenue]

I'm pg with DC2, due in November, and am slowly emerging out of my state of denial and have started vaguely to compose a list of things I need to do/buy for the baby's arrival in a few months. DS will be 2.4 yo when he or she is born.

I'd always assumed that I'd never do ante-natal classes for number 2, as OBVIOUSLY I know it all now. I've been reading lots of threads on here about coping with 2 DCs etc and there is lots of really good advice/tips etc.

Also, two close friends have recently had their second DC and so are also full of advice/act as a good reminder of those early weeks etc.

However, I'm now second guessing myself. Maybe some kind of refresher class would be good...? Not sure exactly what would be useful - some reminder stuff about labour/birth/breastfeeding...?

Are there any classes spcifically tailored to having your second child?

Or am I just feeling guilty about having paid NO ATTENTION so far to this pregnancy/baby, that am trying to assuage my guilt by spending uneccessary money???

How did others prepare for DC2?

I found the classes pretty useless with dc1, but I have downloaded a Red Cross first aid app recommended on here, cleared out my medicine cupboard to make sure I don't try and give inappropriate or out of date medication and ordered the cot and car seat! With bf, none of the prep was useful either so I've just made sure i know where the help is supposed to be. Lining up someone to have dc1 has been the hardest thing, we still don't really have concrete coverage and I'm 30 wks...

Er. I need to clean the car seat.

And get my newborn clothes down from my mum's attic.

I have bought DD a doll to try and explain about breastfeeding and how we need to cuddle the baby and not throw it (she is 22 months)

Um… the rest of it is just a wing and a prayer. Will DD be out of the cot by the time I need it for no.2? (last time we co slept for the first few months so didn't have a cot for a while) Will DD be reliably walking places by the time I need her pushchair for no.2? (again didn't really use a pushchair for 6 months or so, just the sling)

Well, shops don't shut after you have a baby…

I found antenatal classes a bit redundant first time round after too much time spent on mumsnet. I only stopped bf quite recently so I'm hoping that will come back to me quickly …

Wow I really am just randomly hoping things work out, aren't I?

I'm not planning on any more classes. I just start reading the lists for hospital bag and ordering a few things that I'm sure will be necessary - tiny nappies, etc.

I'm very early pregnant (super duper early) but am already thinking what I'll be doing if everything works out. :)

DD is 15 months just now and will be 23 months when baby is born. We did an NCT class the first time and, given the cost, won't be doing one again. It feels as though it was recent enough that I remember most of it.

Things we'll be able to reuse:
Carseat (will need cleaned though)
Crib (need new mattress)
Buggy (will hopefully just put DD on a buggy board by this point - she's been a confident walker since about 10 months so I'm hoping she'll be okay out the buggy by then - this might be wishful thinking on my part!!)
Bouncy Chair
Breast bump
Playmat
Clothes (even if it's a DS we're too skint to be bothered about him wearing pink )
Steriliser
Sling and backpack

Things we'll have to buy:
A new cot when it comes time for it
Bottles for expressed milk

Yeah sorry you didn't ask for that did you!!

In answer to your actual question I wouldn't do the antenatal class this time. It will all come back to you I'm sure. :)

This is my second, first DD is going to be 6. The thought entered my mind that it has been a while and maybe I should consider the classes etc again, but then I remembered that I found things much easier the first time when I went with my gut and didn't get bulked down with books and classes and info on leaflets.

Like weebairn says, wing and a prayer for me too!

Congratulations!

I had my second (now 16 months) with a 6y9m age gap so I had pretty much forgotten most stuff :o

I invested in a sling so I could feed on the go so that might be worth looking at, I did write down a list of all the stuff I would need and then I scored off all the stuff I remember not using.

I have never attended anti-natal classes but I did go along to a breastfeeding group to get in amongst people and fins out what goes on but I formula fed my first.

My DS found it interesting to watch the bounty videos of a baby in the womb once a month (animated obviously) but that may not apply to a younger child.

Oh and another thing I did have to get my head around, about 8 weeks before the birth I suddenly got very sentimental and anxious about my eldest (how can I love both the same, would I be able to spend time with him and how would I manage dealing with two were big worries for me). I also remember bursting into tears watching an episode of Top Gear with him snuggled up on the sofa because it would be the last time he would have me to himself

As it turns out he loves having a sister and pays me no attention :o

I've just had my second. I didn't do antenatal classes again because I thought they were pretty crap the first time. I just read lots of threads on here and reread my pregnancy books.

I made a massive to-do list when I realised I hadn't done anything to prepare - stuff like buying new mattresses, washing and sorting all the baby clothes we had squirrelled away, cleaning the buggy, getting a buggy board etc. It felt good to tick everything off the list

The borrower you don't still have that list do you?!
I'm due ds2 in oct. Ds1 will still be in pram so we have ordered parts to convert it to a double but I want to clean his part, and the frame, wheels etc.
we will need a new mattress for crib and possibly a 2nd cot if ds still in his but will wait till after Xmas for that.
I will also wash all ds's newborn clothes as I need to sort out where they are going to go!
Apart from that I have no idea what I need to do.
We did nct antenatal classed with ds. They do a refresher course but it's pretty expensive. I'm hoping it will all just come back to me!

Due in 9 weeks, done sweet FA! Too busy with work and 2.5yo DS. Just figuring I'll deal with it when the time comes. Don't feel guilty!

sweetpeapods no, I chucked it the other day, but it was stuff like -

• Order new mattresses for Moses basket and crib
• wash all old baby clothes
• clean buggy and covers
• get stuff back that was loaned to people eg baby bath support
• order buggy board
• make hospital bag list and pack
• buy nappies
• Get new sling

And then lots of random stuff like

• get new cable for gro bag light as ours was broken
• get new shoulder pads for car seat because ours were missing etc.

Then lots of nesting stuff got added like

• paint my daughter's bedroom and all the windowsills in the house
• batch cook for freezer
• get the rug doctor for our living room rug

Etc

Thanks. I can't remember when I packed my hospital bag last time. I suppose I should pack an overnight bag for ds too incase he stays overnight at grandparents. Really don't fancy MiL snooping.

I did a three hour refresher NCT workshop last weekend as I felt I'd forgotten everything, in particular about options for pain relief for birth etc. I didn't find it that useful at all - could have found out what I needed to know on here. Also it was particularly annoying as I was the only one there who had had a baby already and every time a question was asked, the woman running it said 'Lizzy, can you answer that q for the group please?' Err, no!

Everything else I've forgotten - what to pack in hospital bag etc - I've looked up on here.

I'm having my second next week and I would sat I've only really prepared in the last two weeks.

Except moves dd who was co sleeping and in a cot into her own room in a cot bed when I was 3 months (why I didn't do it before I don't know because it was also the first night she slept through!!)

Talked about the baby a lot and she's watched bump grow, seen pics, got a few baby books to bring the subject to her haven't managed to wean her from bf so will be bf both of them.

Got pretty much anything I didn't have (boy this time) handed down, did hospital bag last minute with actually useful things in it not like last time!

I did get a double pushchair though because I walk miles and dd isn't great, she's a good little walker but everything is pointed out, sits down, runs off etx and only small so I don't feel moving into the winter on a buggy board will be doable this year.

I have a 2.2 age gap. This first month has been tough. What has helped me most is decent support from DH who has been very flexible about work hours. Not possible for everyone but if yours can't work at home sometimes then get other family members to rally round and help with your toddler. Its hard when you have to spend most of the day breastfeeding, the toddler needs entertaining and you have already watched ten episodes of peppa pig by lunchtime.

My DS is still in his cot. Hopefully I can get him out of it by the time DD needs it in 5 months time. She is in a bedside crib which I really recommend.

We splashed out on a double buggy, got a second hand donkey. If you can afford one it is brilliant.

I never wasted any time on doing ante natal classes again.they were rubbish enough first time.

Sling is coming in handy most days at the moment

I was hoping to avoid a double buggy with using a sling + buggy combo for 6 months then get toddler to walk. But I think I might be being unrealistic. Def don't want to spend a lot though. My age gap will be exactly 2 years (to the day if my due date were to be correct!)

What do people think?

Depends how much/far you walk weebairn. I walk a lot and found the double buggy a massive help. I did use a sling too but often it's really nice to be able to put the baby down and focus on the toddler. It's also hard to manhandle a tantrumming reluctant toddler into a pushchair with a baby strapped to you ime!

In answer to the original question, I bought dc1 a doll, bought a double pushchair and washed the baby clothes I think.

I have an 18 month gap (seemed sensible when discussed reality quite different!) and for second DC I also re-read pregnancy books, didn't bother with antenatal classes as found them pretty pants first time around. Procrastinated over hospital bag but remembered most required things from first time.

When DC arrived as others have said it was tough to balance needs of toddler and baby, we watched a ton of cbeebies at the time (November so quite often dreadful weather) but I took the view it's a relatively short period to get through. We were also able to put toddler with CM and granny some days and that was a massive help to just have time with the baby.

I got a double buggy (baby jogger city twin) as my main criteria was (and still is) to be able to safely strap both in if required. In reality I either use our original single pram and toddler walking if it's a shorter time period, or use the double if it's a longer walk / longer day out. Toddler is now 2.3 and will walk a reasonable distance but it's useful to have safety net for when it all gets too much (for toddler not me!)

So to summarise don't worry you'll be fine, it's like riding a bicycle :) save your money (so that you can spend it on lovely baby clothes even though you had vowed to put the baby only in hand-me-downs)